On this day July 1, 1989, Baby Don’t Forget My Number by Milli Vanilli reached number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, holding the top spot through July 7. It was the group’s first chart topper in the United States and helped launch them into pop stardom almost overnight.
With its catchy hook, upbeat production, and slick image, the song became a defining hit of late 80s dance pop. It was part of Milli Vanilli’s debut album Girl You Know It’s True, which would go on to produce several other chart hits. At the time, Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan were marketed as the duo behind the music, but it would later come to light that they did not actually sing on the tracks.
Despite the scandal that followed, Baby Don’t Forget My Number remains a recognizable anthem of 1989 and a reflection of the era’s sound and style.
80s insight: The success of Milli Vanilli captured how image driven pop had become by the end of the decade. Even with the controversy that came later, songs like this defined the sound of 1989.
With its catchy hook, upbeat production, and slick image, the song became a defining hit of late 80s dance pop. It was part of Milli Vanilli’s debut album Girl You Know It’s True, which would go on to produce several other chart hits. At the time, Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan were marketed as the duo behind the music, but it would later come to light that they did not actually sing on the tracks.
Despite the scandal that followed, Baby Don’t Forget My Number remains a recognizable anthem of 1989 and a reflection of the era’s sound and style.
80s insight: The success of Milli Vanilli captured how image driven pop had become by the end of the decade. Even with the controversy that came later, songs like this defined the sound of 1989.
